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Policy

Dyersburg State Community College, a Tennessee Board of Regents institution, does not discriminate against students, employees, or applicants for admission or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities.

Policy Statement

Limitations to this Catalog

The course offerings and requirements of Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) are continually under examination and revision. This catalog presents the offerings and requirements in effect at the time of publication but is no guarantee that they will not be changed or revoked. However, adequate and reasonable notice will be given to students affected by any changes. This catalog is not intended to state contractual terms and does not constitute a contract between the student and the institution.

DSCC reserves the right to make changes as required in course offerings, curricula, academic policies and other rules and regulations affecting students to be effective whenever determined by the institution. These changes will govern current and formerly enrolled students. Enrollment of all students is subject to these conditions.

DSCC provides the opportunity for students to increase their knowledge by providing programs of instruction in the various disciplines and programs through faculty who, in the opinion of DSCC, are qualified for teaching at the college level. The acquisition and retention of knowledge by any student is, however, contingent upon the student’s desire and ability to learn and his or her application of appropriate study techniques to any course or program. Thus, DSCC must necessarily limit representation of student preparedness in any field of study to that competency demonstrated at that specific point in time at which appropriate academic measurements were taken to certify course or program completion.

Confidentiality of Student Records

The policy of the Tennessee Board of Regents and DSCC is to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and, in so doing, to protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable educational records of students and former students. The student has the following rights: the right to inspect and review his/her education records within 45 days of the day DSCC receives a request for access; the right to request an amendment of his/her education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading; the right to consent to disclosures of personal identifiable information contained in his/her education records except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent; and the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by DSCC to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

Under the provisions of FERPA, DSCC may disclose directory information to any person requesting it without the consent of the student. Directory information includes the student’s name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, enrollment status, degrees and awards received, and the most previous educational agency or institution attended by the student. DSCC provides each student the opportunity to refuse to allow disclosure of any designated directory information. Students wishing to refuse disclosure should contact the Office of Records at the beginning of each academic term. FERPA also allows the College to disclose educational records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

Annually, students are informed of their rights under FERPA through this announcement and through the DSCC Student Handbook section of the catalog.

Student Right to Know

Crime statistics and current campus policies regarding procedures for students and others to report criminal actions and other emergencies, can be accessed online at www.dscc.edu/security. A paper copy of this report may be obtained by calling the DSCC Office of Physical Plant at 731-287-7746.

DSCC also maintains records on graduation rates. For more information, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement.

Policy Statement of Non-Discrimination

All educational activities at DSCC are equally accessible to everyone regardless of race, color, religion, creed, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation/gender identity/expression, disability, age (as applicable), status as a covered veteran, genetic information, and any other category protected by federal and state civil rights law. The Director of Human Resources is the designated person responsible for the coordination of policies and procedures for compliance with the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 799A and 845 of the Public Health Service Act, 45 C.F.R. Parts 83 and 86, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

DSCC prohibits the unlawful possession, use, distribution, manufacture of illicit drugs and alcohol on the campus property or on institutionally owned, leased or otherwise controlled property or as part of any activity of DSCC. All employees and students are subject to applicable federal, state and local laws related to illegal use and possession of controlled substances and alcohol. Additionally, students found in violation of Drug-Free Schools and the Communities Act Amendments of 1989 will result in disciplinary actions set forth in the DSCC Student Handbook section of this catalog.

Guidelines on Discrimination and Harassment

Based on the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) Guideline P-080, it is the intent of DSCC to fully comply with the applicable provisions of federal and state civil rights laws including, but not limited to, Executive Order 11246, as amended; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended; the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974, as amended; the Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended; Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972, as amended; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Pregnancy Discrimination Act; the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008; and regulations promulgated pursuant hereto. DSCC will promote equal opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, creed, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation/gender identity/expression, disability, age (as applicable), status as a covered veteran, genetic information, and any other category protected by federal and state civil rights law.

DSCC affirms that they will not tolerate discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, creed, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation/gender identity/expression, disability, age (as applicable), status as a covered veteran, genetic information, and any other category protected by federal and state civil rights law.

Similarly, DSCC shall not subject any student to discrimination or harassment under any educational program and no student shall be discriminatorily excluded from participation nor denied the benefits of any educational program on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation/gender identity/expression, disability, age (as applicable), status as a covered veteran, genetic information, and any other category protected by federal and state civil rights law.

Any student wishing to discuss a complaint related to these guidelines should contact the Director of Human Resources/Affirmative Action Officer/ Title VI and Title IX Coordinator.The office is located in Room 229A of the Eller Administration Building.The telephone number is 731- 286-3316.The complete text of TBR Guideline P-080 is available in the Human Resources Office or on the TBR website at www.tbr.edu.

A. Discrimination

Discrimination may occur by:

Treating individuals less favorably because of their race, color, religion, creed, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation/gender identity/expression, disability, age (as applicable), status as a covered veteran, genetic information, or any other category protected by federal or state civil rights law; or,

Having a policy or practice that has a disproportionately adverse impact on protected class members.

B. Harassment

Harassment is conduct that is based on a person’s race, color, religion, creed, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation/gender identity/expression, disability, age (as applicable), status as a covered veteran, genetic information, or any other category protected by federal or state civil rights law, that:

Adversely affects a term or condition of an individual’s employment, education, participation in an institution’s activities or living environment;

Has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s employment or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, offensive or abusive environment for that individual; or

Is used as a basis for or a factor in decisions that tangibly affect that individual’s employment, education, participation in an institution’s activities or living environment.

Examples of such conduct include, but are not limited to, verbal or physical conduct relating to an employee’s national origin, race, surname, skin color or accent; offensive or derogatory jokes based on a protected category; racial or ethnic slurs; pressure for dates or sexual favors; unwelcome comments about a person’s religion or religious garments; offensive graffiti, cartoons or pictures; or offensive remarks about a person’s age.

Not every act that might be offensive to an individual or a group will be considered harassment. Whether the alleged conduct constitutes harassment depends upon the record as a whole and the totality of the circumstances, such as the nature of the conduct in the context within which the alleged incident occurs. Harassment does not include verbal expressions or written material that is relevant and appropriately related to course subject matter or curriculum.

Code for Computer Resource Use

Computer resources at DSCC are available to authorized students, faculty, staff and off-campus constituents. Access to these resources is obtained from the Vice President for Technology and is granted with the understanding that the resources will be used as stated in the request and in keeping with the idea that one’s interest ceases when it invades the rights of personal and/or institutional privacy, results in the destruction of personal and/or institutional property, demonstrates a potential for loss, creates the possibility for the embarrassment of litigation to the individual and/or institution or because of an otherwise irresponsible use of a limited resource. It is the policy of the office to avail these resources to as many users as possible and, to the extent possible, keep the number of restraints and restrictions on the individuals to a minimum consistent with the ability to provide service to all who request use.

Faculty members who teach in computer laboratories may use software at instructor stations to monitor and control the activity of the other computers in a laboratory. The monitoring software can be used to lock the screens of one or more computers, see the activity at any computer, display the screen of any computer on the overhead projector, only allow the other computers to run a specific application such as Microsoft Excel, and perform other functions. If a student is suspected of an abuse of the computer resource, as defined below, student workers that are paid to monitor open computer laboratories will be authorized to use software to monitor the activity of that student. Since computers located in DSCC laboratories and libraries are a public supported resource established for instructional purposes, anyone using the resource does not have a legal right to privacy.

For the computer resource policy to work it is essential that users observe responsible and ethical behavior in the use of the resources. In an effort to assist the user community in the effective use of the limited computer resources, it seems reasonable to highlight some specific responsibilities and types of behavior that represent abuse of a user’s privilege. The examples do not constitute a complete list but are intended to convey the intent of the code.

Users should not damage or attempt to damage computer equipment or to modify or attempt to modify equipment so that it does not function as originally intended. It is equally wrong to damage or modify or attempt to damage or modify software components: operating systems, application software, utility routines, etc.

Users should not use or attempt to use an account without authorization from the owner of that account. Users have the responsibility of protecting their accounts through the proper use of passwords, but the fact that an account is unprotected does not imply permission for an unauthorized person to use it. Further, accounts are to be used only for the purpose for which they have been established. Additionally, it is wrong to use a college-sponsored account for funded research, personal business, or consulting activities.

Users should not use private files without authorization. Owners of such files should take precautions and use the security mechanisms available. However, the fact that a file is not protected does not make it right for anyone to access it, unless it is specifically designated as a public access file. It is equally wrong for anyone without authorization to change or delete a file that belongs to anyone else. Violation of property rights and copyrights covering data, computer programs and documentation are also wrong. In the event of accidental access of private files, confidentiality of those files must be maintained.

Users should not send harassing or threatening messages to other individuals or groups. Similarly, users should not mail or post inappropriate material to one or more mailing lists and/or news groups. The DSCC electronic mail policy is published on the DSCC home page under the heading DSCC Policy Statements. Questions about the definitions of harassing, threatening, and inappropriate should be directed to the Vice President for Technology or the Dean of Student Services.

Use of e-mail at DSCC should be consistent with the goals, purposes, and mission of the institution. Unacceptable mail messages include the following:

Any mail not related to DSCC business sent to users who have not indicated a desire to receive the mailing. For example, mail messages about controversial topics should not be sent to the general faculty/staff list.

A mail message containing an attachment which is copyrighted material.

Any deliberate wasteful use of resources is irresponsible; it encroaches on other people’s use of facilities and deprives them of resources. The printing of large unnecessary listings and use of the Internet solely for entertainment are examples of such abuse. Users are expected to be aware of the resources they are using and to make reasonable efforts to use these resources efficiently.

Users should adhere to operating procedures and their intent as established by the Office of Vice President for Technology.

Administrators, faculty, staff, the Office of Vice President for Technology, and others in positions of trust within the DSCC community have a professional responsibility to insure that the equipment, software and services provide the most efficient levels of support and consider the needs of the total user community. Such persons in positions of trust who misuse computing resources or take advantage of their positions to access data not required in the performance of their duties are displaying unprofessional behavior.

Users should not load software that accesses the web on an on-going routine basis on an institutional computer. The only exception to this rule is if the data being obtained through the web are required by the individual to perform an assigned institutional function. This type of software wastes bandwidth that is very costly to the institution. Examples of this type of software include “Weather Bug”, screen savers that update the view during the day, views from web cameras, listening to radio stations, downloading music, chat room software, etc.

The loading of peer-to-peer software on any computer or file server owned by DSCC is prohibited. Peer-to-peer software exposes the computer to attacks from the internet. Once a computer is compromised, the perpetrator can load any kind of undesirable software on the computer and spread it through our campus. If a user is found to have peer-to-peer software on any computer for which they have responsibility, then the policy violation will be reported to their supervisor and the appropriate Vice President. Examples of peer-to-peer file and music sharing software includes Bearshare, MP3SUnlimited, Napster, iShareIT, OpenNAP, Kazaa and Gnutella.

The unauthorized use or distribution of computer software, music, videos, movies, or other copyrighted material violates federal laws and the State Computer Crimes Act. The making of copies or distributing software, music, videos, movies, or other copyrighted material is subject to federal copyright laws. Violation of such laws may result in disciplinary sanctions, including dismissal, civil lawsuit and criminal prosecution. See DSCC Policy 08:04:03 for additional information on the authorized use of copyrighted materials.

Any use of the computing resources without authorization is prohibited.

The code is posted on the DSCC webpage under the general heading DSCC Policy Statements. Failure to comply with the code will subject the violator to appropriate disciplinary action.

It is the responsibility of all users to report to the Office of the Vice President for Technology any violation of the Code of Computer Resource Use. Whenever there is an indication of abuse of the user’s privilege which interferes with the intended functions of the system, or impinges on another user’s rights, or an otherwise irresponsible use of the computer resource, the Office of Vice President for Technology reserves the right to investigate and implement those actions deemed necessary to protect the system and/or other users. Such an investigation will require prior authorization from the appropriate DSCC offices for students, faculty and staff, the Vice President for the College; for others, the Vice President for Technology.

Abuse of computer facilities and resources will be referred to the proper authorities for disciplinary or legal action including, but not limited to restitution, restrictions, reprimand, suspension, probation, expulsion, termination, and when adjudged a felony, legal action.

Reporting Fraud, Waste, or Abuse

State law requires all public institutions of higher education to provide a means by which students, employees, or others may report suspected or known fraud, waste, or abuse. In addition, DSCC is committed to the responsible stewardship of our resources. We encourage you to report known or suspected fraud, wastes, or abuse by employees, outside contractors, or vendors.

Activities such as the following, either known or suspected, should be reported:

Theft or misappropriation of funds, supplies, property, or other DSCC resources

Forgery or alteration of documents

Unauthorized alteration or manipulation of data, computer files or networks

Improper or wasteful activity

Falsification of reports to management or external agencies

Pursuit of a benefit or advantage in violation of the college’s conflict of interest policy

Authorization or receipt of compensation for hours not worked

Reporting Options: Several options are available to DSCC employees, students and others for reporting known or suspected fraud, waste, or abuse. You may report your concerns:

To your supervisor or department head

To a DSCC official, such as President, Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services or Director of Physical Plant (when safety or security issues are involved)

To DSCC Internal Audit by calling 731-286-3237

To the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) Office of System-wide Internal Audit:

Internal Audit has reporting responsibility to the Audit Committee of the Tennessee Board of Regents through the Director of System-wide Internal Auditing. This reporting relationship enables Internal Audit to independently and objectively review matters involving any level of administration at the college.

College management is responsible for establishing and implementing systems and procedures to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse.

More Information

Information regarding the reporting of fraud, waste, or abuse can also be found on our website: www.DSCC.edu under the About DSCC tab in the About Dyersburg State section. Additionally, brochures have been placed in information racks in all buildings on the Dyersburg campus and at the DSCC centers.

Campus and Electronic Campus Website Notification

State and federal laws require colleges and universities to be authorized to offer online degree programs in states other than their own. Below is a list of states where DSCC is authorized to offer online degrees. If you do not see your state listed below, you will be unable to enroll in any online programs offered by DSCC.